


Secret Admirer

by WastingYourGum



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-28 02:57:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17779274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WastingYourGum/pseuds/WastingYourGum
Summary: Greg's day is punctuated by several thoughtful little gifts - but from whom?





	1. Morning

**Author's Note:**

> A Valentine's Day fic, updated through the day...

He'd had uglier commutes - but not many.

Heavy wet snow turned to filthy grey slush beneath London's feet and wheels. Progress was hard work for everyone, which made them even more ill-tempered and impatient than usual.

When he finally fought his way into the office, Greg took off his scarf and overcoat, hung them up to drip melting sleet onto the floor and sank gratefully into his chair before turning his attention to whatever awaited on his desk.

He was greeted by a large takeaway cup sitting in front of his keyboard. Wisps of steam rose from the small sip hole in the lid into the cooler office air and a faint scent filled with the promise of caffeine met his nose.

He wrapped his hand around the corrugated cardboard sleeve. A pleasing warmth spread into his chilled fingers and he swapped hands a few times to maximise the thawing effect.

He leaned forward. A deeper inhalation confirmed his earlier hopes; rich, strong coffee, creamy milk and a tantalising tang of caramel - a temptation he rarely allowed himself to give in to.

But where had it come from? The office he'd just walked through was empty - he was the first one to make it in.

Was it safe?

Only one way to find out… well, technically two ways - he could send it down to the science bods for analysis but that would waste a lot of time and resources and it was highly unlikely someone would go to so much effort just to poison him and damn it he really just wanted to taste it...

So he did.

Oh _God_ , that was good...

He closed his eyes and relaxed back into his chair as the coffee warmed his core. He took another large sip and briefly held it in his mouth, letting the heat rise through his sinuses before swallowing and feeling a bit more of the stress in his shoulders surrender to the sugary onslaught of the caramel.

His moment of bliss was rudely interrupted by DS Sally Donovan tapping on the glass of his door.

"Morning. You'll never guess what just showed up on my desk."

Greg took another sip without opening his eyes. "The best coffee you've had in ages?"

"Umm, no? The forensics are back for the fibres in Polito's car. Wasn't expecting them until tomorrow at the earliest."

"And?" he asked, taking another sip.

"Definite match." He could hear the glee in her voice.

He reluctantly opened his eyes and set himself in motion. "We'd better go have a word with him then, hadn't we?"

Greg considered his mysterious coffee as he got to his feet. It was still more than two-thirds full. Letting that go to waste would be something he'd have to arrest himself for.

"You can drive," he told Sally.

"Really?"

He couldn't blame her for the note of incredulity - he was somewhat possessive of his place in the driver's seat of the pursuit car though she was equally as qualified.

"Yeah, why not?"

Sally's grin went from pleased to blinding. She whirled away to grab her things before he could change his mind.

Greg set the coffee down while he put his damp coat back on. By the time he picked it up again, Sally had returned with a copy of the Forensics results which he exchanged for the car keys.

After that he was so busy being pleased with the wealth of evidence she'd given him, he forgot to wonder about his other benefactor…


	2. Lunch

A young man holding a large brown paper bag was waiting for them when they came back to the car for what felt like the umpteenth time after a fruitless morning spent checking several locations Mr Polito wasn't.

"Mr Lestrade?" he asked.

"Yes…"

The lad thrust forward his offering and checked the slip of paper in his other hand. "Panini with minute steak, smoked cheese, peppers, caramelised onions, and bagel with chicken, rocket, red onions, caesar dressing…" He paused as the bag was snatched out of his hand. "And two cans of Coke."

Greg remembered the curious case of the caramel coffee in a flash.

Sally had already pulled the bagel out of the bag. She took a huge bite of it and groaned with appreciation. "Thanks Boss - I'm starving."

"I didn't actually order these," Greg admitted.

Sally paused mid-chew then shrugged and carried on devouring her lunch.

"Don't matter. S'already paid for," the young man said. "Cheers." He headed away.

"Who paid for them?" Greg called after him.

He turned to answer but kept walking backwards as he shrugged and replied, "Dunno. I just deliver them, mate."

Greg opened the car door and sat sideways on the passenger seat with his legs stretched outside.

"So someone anonymously ordered our two favourite sandwiches?" Sally said through a mouthful of salad leaves.

Greg carefully lined up his panini with the bag so the grease wouldn't drip on his trousers. "Yeah - they left me a coffee this morning as well. I'm torn between being totally creeped out and enjoying the free food."

Sally chewed thoughtfully for a moment then burst out laughing. "Oh God - I just realised."

"What?"

"Today."

"What?"

"February 14th?" she prompted. "You've got yourself a secret admirer."

Of course - he'd vaguely registered the flowers and hearts dripping from every shop shelf for the past few weeks but Valentine's Day had been something that happened to other people for a very long time now.

"It's too short a gap between 'secret admirer' and 'stalker' for my liking. How'd they know I was here? Must be someone at the nick. I don't know that many people outside work."

Or _any_ people outside work come to that, he thought ruefully.

"Might not be. Could be someone who knows someone at the nick."

"Doesn't really narrow it down, does it?"

"Well, if you figure out who it is, say ta from me. I really needed that." Sally finished inhaling her bagel and crumpled up the paper bag it had occupied. "Hey - maybe it's really _me_ that's got the admirer and they just gave you that coffee to make _my_ day better."

"Much more likely. Right, where's next on the known locations list?"


	3. Tea-time

It took three more trips before the elusive Mr Polito was finally tracked down. Greg enjoyed the usual thrill of having made a collar tempered with the bitter realisation that a lot of paperwork was now in order. 

He settled down to plough through some of it and let Sally take the lead on the interview. 

A plate of chocolate Hobnobs appeared on his desk when he came back from the break room with a fresh cup of tea just before four o'clock. The entire office claimed to have seen nothing out of the ordinary. 

He saved one for Sally as a reward for getting Polito to slip up on his alibi - though he neglected to tell her how many there had been to start with. 

"Y'know... if you don't marry this person, then I'm gonna," she told him, scattering crumbs across his desk...


	4. Home time

All in all - and despite the miserable start - it had turned into a very satisfying day. Greg even caught himself whistling as he made his way down to the car park.

A single red rose was threaded into his steering wheel and tucked behind it was a cream coloured envelope.

He carefully placed the rose on the passenger seat and opened the envelope. Inside was an After Eight mint, a typewritten note that simply said "See you then?" and a key with a fob bearing the name of a hotel Greg had never heard of.

A quick Google revealed it was out in the sticks - and if he was going to get there by eight he would have to get a shift on.

Greg shook his head, smiling as he popped the mint - another of his favourites - into his mouth and started the car...


	5. Evening

The hotel was a Georgian country house conversion straight out of _Pride & Prejudice._

Greg panicked as he got out of the car that he might be a bit underdressed but he relaxed as soon as he entered the lobby. It didn't feel _posh_. The whole place spoke only of comfort and cosiness; welcoming rather than judging.

It was perfect.

The room number was on the key. Greg followed the signs until he found the right door, turned the key in the lock and pushed the door open.

The room was dominated by a magnificent four-poster bed.

To one side was a small, candle-lit, dinner table set with what looked like a sumptuous feast for two.

The only other light apart from the soft glow of the candles came from a crackling log fire at the other side of the room which was also giving out a pleasing heat.

And sitting on a plush rug in front of the fire, tucked out of sight of the corridor and wearing nothing but an inviting smile…

Greg laughed softly. "I thought…, no, I _hoped_ it was you," he admitted.

"Glad I didn't disappoint you."

"You've completely failed to do that all day."

"The day's not over yet."

"That's a very good point. Why don't we see how the rest of it goes?"

Greg started taking his coat off and kicked the door shut behind him...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the answer to the question "Who was it?" is, of course, "The person you were imagining it was all along..." ;)


End file.
